2016 Subaru XV Updated – More gear, New Style, Modest Price Rise

Subaru has applied some mild updates to its XV small crossover for the 2016 model year, with a range of cosmetic updates to spruce up the exterior and interior.

Thanks to an influx of new competitors in the small/compact SUV segment (chiefly the Honda HR-V and Mazda CX-3), sales for the XV have dropped off markedly. While Subaru sold 11,539 XVs in 2014, last year just 7168 rolled out of showrooms.

That's still enough to make it Subaru's third most popular vehicle, but it's resulted in the XV sliding from second-place in its segment down to sixth.

The 2016 model year updates don't bring anything in the way of substantial mechanical or fuel economy improvements, but the aesthetic upgrades may be enough to get more buyers looking in the XV's direction once more.